Q & A: How much should my five month old be sleeping?

Hi there.
My wife and I recently gave birth to a little boy five months ago after nine years of raising our daughter. The net and parenting books are filled with information regarding sleep, sleep habits and the like and there seems to be much debate surrounding what an average night should look like at this point. From what we have read a five month old should be sleeping anywhere from six to eight hours straight without waking up. My question is what happens after that six or eight hours? Is this suggesting that would be it for the night or is there a feeding and more sleep thereafter?

Our son is sleeping anywhere from three to five hours at a time and has gone as much as seven however very recently it seems as if we have taken a step back and he rarely goes more than three and a half hours. Additionally, the sleep he is getting is very unsound. We swaddle him pretty tight which helps but if he gets his hands out its game over. If the pacifier pops out we also have some challenges. When he does get up we are feeding him and he is taking the formula.

Incidentally he was sleeping in a co sleeper in our bed and/or a bassinet but has since outgrown both and sleeps swaddled in the bed with either my wife or myself.

Love to get some feedback.

Thanks, Joseph
Joseph,

When it comes to baby info, there’s a lot out there with many viewpoints. I think 10 hours of sleep at night and three hours during the day is a healthy average for a five month old. As far as the swaddling goes, he may be growing out of it. Maybe snuggling up to you or your wife is an alternative. When you are co sleeping, it is a little tougher to limit night time feeds. Since you are already close by, popping the pacifier in his mouth may help spreading out the feeds. (Every three hours is ample at this stage). And lastly, make sure your little guy is getting enough to eat during the day. This may help him go for longer stretches at night.